We've all been there, at a networking event where someone rapidly asks what we do and then looks to get away as quickly as possible when we are clearly of no interest or use to them. It doesn't feel pleasant does it? How might we then react if that same person came back to us later and asked for our help, [...]

Unfortunately, I’m not talking about the tasty kind of PIE, but the kind of PIE that is really important to keep in mind when thinking about your career progression. In 1996, Harvey Coleman explored the impact of PIE on your career success. Simply put, his work looks at 3 key elements that contribute to people progressing in their careers. He explains [...]

If you have read my article about considering PIE (if not here is the link) , you’ll understand how important ‘Exposure’ is to your career progression. How do you go about increasing your exposure? What should you consider? In this article, I want to give you some top tips to start to make a plan about how to increase your exposure, [...]

Strategic relationships - what does this term mean to you? It is about what it says but then the big question is, do you take time to think about these? Who they should be with and how you will go about building them? Do you know you should be connecting with people more but struggle to find the time and motivation [...]

Small talk, a phrase dreaded by many as it usually conjures up pictures of an awkward situation where you have to make conversation with someone you don't know at all or don't know well. In reality, it might not just be awkward situations when it is necessary but situations that become awkward if you find 'small talk' challenging. Situations when it [...]

Frequently in my talks and workshops, when I am covering the topics of psychology of image and the impact of a first impression, I have people say we just shouldn’t judge one another from a first impression. It’s a great idea but very hard to achieve, it is pretty much impossible to meet someone for the first time and think nothing [...]

Have you ever had someone give you what you felt was unsolicited feedback? Someone pass comment when you don't feel they are not well placed to do so? Negative feedback is often hard to accept wholeheartedly (not just at work, but in our personal lives too!) but if you think about it, when is it most acceptable, especially if you haven't [...]

The last few weeks in politics have thrown up lots of things to consider, particularly around leadership, professional relationships and integrity. It's interesting to think about the Cabinet and how, until recently, they were probably all focused on what the Prime Minister David Cameron and George Osborne (wannabee Prime Minister) thought of them. We'll probably never know the exact reasons for [...]

How good are you at following-up? I don't just mean on glaring business opportunities but on less obvious ones too, as well as doing things you've promised and thanking those that have helped you. I've been amazed recently at the lack of following-up/basic courtesy I've experienced (if not personally, then second hand). From the ridiculous, where I have clearly signalled a [...]

Customer service, we all encounter it every day, whether as a B-2-B customer or as a consumer. Even if we don’t leave the house, there’s often a phone call to the gas supplier or the hairdresser. How many of those encounters do we really think about after the event? In truth, not many – it’s usually only the really excellent or [...]